Zach swung the SUV to a stop nearby and Kelly and Dalton hopped out.
“Mr. Sanders,” she said.
He looked frantic, turned and rushed back towards his house only to emerge holding a handgun. “Get back in your vehicle and leave now. I’m warning you!” he yelled.
“Whoa!” Kelly lifted her hands and backed up. Dalton was closer to the man’s car so instead of putting himself in the line of sight he took cover behind it.
“Look, we’re just here to talk about Winchester.”
“I know who you are. I have nothing to say.”
“Going on a trip, Douglas?” Dalton asked.
Sanders swung the gun towards him. All the while Zach was still in the vehicle, the dark tinted windows blocking the view of him.
“None of your business. Now get out of here before I call the cops!”
“I’m sure the cops would like to know you aimed a gun at us,” Kelly said.
“This is private property. I have every right to…”
Unbeknownst to Sanders, Zach had slipped out and circled around. He darted out from the corner of the house and plowed into him. The gun went off shattering one of the windows in his expensive car. A quick scuffle on the gravel driveway and Zach soon had the better of him.
“Please. Get off. I can’t breathe.”
Zach had him pinned down, his full weight riding high on his chest like a grappler. As Dalton made his way out, a woman, middle-aged, red hair pinned up, appeared in the doorway. She let out a cry. “Douglas!” She took a few steps out but was urged to stop.
Sanders stuck out a hand. “It’s all right, Mary. Just stay inside.”
In a short span, Dalton got a taste of what Jack must have experienced frequently — opposition, threats and resistance. And he had no help. How the hell did he manage to deal with this on a weekly basis?
Kelly made her way over. “Zach, let him up. Mr. Sanders. I’m sorry but today hasn’t exactly gone as smoothly as I hoped.”
“Who the hell are you?” he asked. He wiped off pieces of gravel embedded in his palms as he sat up.
“I thought you said you knew?” Zach asked.
“I figured you were…”
“Whoever paid you to make sure Winchester went to Holbrook?” Kelly asked.
“Look, I don’t have a lot of time. I was about to leave for a vacation.”
Zach dropped down to his level in a crouch, arms folded over his knees. “Oh yeah? For how long? Cause your work said you left because you were ill. Now how about you stop jerking us around and tell us what you know about Winchester? About those that paid you to screw him over. Huh? The same people who killed Dr. Grossman. But let me guess, you already knew that. That’s why you’re trying to flee, right?”
“Murdered? They didn’t murder him. He hung himself. But they would have. And who knows, maybe they were behind it but I’m not sticking around to find out.”
Kelly glanced at Dalton.
“You gonna use the money they paid you?” Zach asked.
He gritted his teeth. “They didn’t pay me shit. Nor Grossman. They don’t need to.”
“No?” Kelly asked. “Why’s that?”
He stared at her with an expression of disbelief. “You’ve not met them, have you?”
“Actually we have,” Dalton said. “They intimidate you? Did they say they would kill you?”
He looked hesitant to speak. Right then two little kids no older than five appeared behind Mary’s legs. She ushered them back inside and closed the door. He didn’t need to explain. It was obvious. He wasn’t just protecting himself, it was his family.
Kelly placed a hand on her hip, a light wind blew her hair back.
“Look, Mr. Sanders. I know you’re scared but there’s an innocent man locked up in a psychiatric hospital. And a woman that’s believed to be dead. So what can you tell us?”
Still on the ground, he picked up a few pieces of gravel and tossed them. “If I say anything, I’m dead.” He shook his head, trying to hold back tears. “My career is over.”
Zach got in his face. “Look, asshole. Who gives a fuck about your career? We were nearly run off the road last night. Now start speaking before I…”
“All right, Zach. That’s enough,” Kelly said. “Go walk it off.”
“Walk it off. Yeah, right.”
She sighed and looked back at Sanders. “How about you start with Dana Grant. You know what happened to her? Or the vehicle from the crash?”
He scoffed. “You think they would tell me? I was just a pawn in their game. For God’s sake, they threatened my kids’ lives!” He paused. “Tell me. What choice did I have? They told me he had done a lot of bad things in his life. Okay? That he deserved to be there. That I would be doing society a favor. One more asshole off the street.”
The wind howled. Dalton looked up into the sky, dark brooding clouds smothered out what little blue remained. Tree branches rustled around them as a strong breeze picked up and the sky threatened to soak them again.
“And you believed them?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. If it came down to my family or some stranger, I would do it again, without hesitation.”
“Oh that’s real admirable, Sanders,” Zach said from his car where he was leaning up against it. “I’m sure the Lewis family would approve. How about you just get to the point where you tell us what you know?”
“I just told you. They didn’t tell me much. It’s not like they’re going to announce what they do, who they are, and so on.”
Dalton walked over. “Then why you? Did they just look you
